
Originally Posted by
PinCushionQueen Hey guys!
I'm pretty new to all this computer stuff so you'll have to go easy on me here!
I downloaded the free BlueVoda web builder and really want to get started on my site but am already ridiculously stuck!! (Yes, despite the tutorials!!!)
Basically, I want to install a template and, indeed, have done but it doesn't look like it fits the page... I mean, when I put the template in the top lefthand corner there seems to be a gap at the bottom of the screen and I don't know if this is right or not? I've tried resizing it but I still get the gap and to be completely honest, I have no clue whatsoever about computers and web design so I don't know if this is meant to happen or not!!!! Can someone help with this?
Also, I want to add things like cursor trails to my site and have found a few that I'd like to download but there is no tutorial for this on the site in question... I suspect I copy the code and then paste it onto my page?? BUT, will it come up on my page as a cursor trail or just the code? Being a novice (or idiot!!) I want to see what I'm doing, not just be faced with millions of codes that make no sense to me!!
Also, with these codes, are they automatically read by the programme because I have no clue how to decipher them! And with the cursor trail, how do I know when I open my website that my graphics are going to follow the guests cursors around???!!! I mean, do I have to place them in a particular area of my site to get them to work??
I hope you get what I'm rambling about - I can't explain complicated computer things very well!! If anyone can help PLEEEZZZZE let me know - I'm really stuck!! And explain it to me like I'm 5, not 23 - there's a chance I might just get it then!!!
While I'm at it, do you lovely lot know of any sites where I can find more cursor trails, fireworks and floating pixels/images?
Thanks in advance - you're all stars!
*PCQ*
PinCushionQueen,
I'm going to try and answer some of your questions. I'm not an expert, but have created a website (no longer active) with cursor trails in my sordid past . . . woops, too many college words there. HaHa.
OK.
1. A great place to start looking for cursor trails is The Javascript Source at http://javascript.internet.com . Most of their totally free files come as zipped files, so you will need a program that unzips them. A zipped file is a compressed file that takes up less room on your hard drive, until it is unzipped. The program you're looking for is called "WinZip" for windows. Personally I like using another program called "7-Zip" available at http://www.7-zip.org .It is more cross-platform friendly. So, the Java Script files that are zipped usually come with a "readme" text file inside them, that explains in easy language how to put the code in your webpage.
2. Pasting Java scripts into your webpage usually involves switching your webpage editor to "HTML" so inside BlueVoda go to the top of the window, click on the "View" link, go down to the "page HTML" link and a new window appears.
3. Depending on the instructions included with the Java script code, you can then "paste" the code into the HTML window wherever they say to paste it. Usually Java scripts have 2 sets of code.
A. The first set of code is usually pasted "between the head".
B. The second set of code is usually pasted "Inside Body Tag" to where ever you want it placed. Then click OK to implement what you just did. You won't see the code until you go back to the HTML view. So when you upload the page to your website, you will just see the effects, not the code.
BUT, if you paste the code into the page like regular text, you will see the code like regular text. Of course I'm over-simplifying it a bit here and there are many other variables at play.
First try designing something really simple, then take a look at the code in HTML view. If you can't figure out what something does, come back here to this forum and ask. There's a special forum for just the kinds of things you're asking about. BUT, you will have to search for it. The more you learn about the code, the more you'll be able to do.
The most important part of designing a website is to first: draw it out on paper. Design the whole thing, links and all. Make lists of all the elements you want. I use a sheet of paper for each page.
Sometimes I even use crayons.